Adjarian khachapuri — the boat of melted cheese with an egg yolk and a knob of butter — is one of Georgia's most recognisable dishes. The good news is that you can make it at home without a special oven. What matters is the right dough, suitable cheese and a very hot oven. Here is a reliable recipe for four medium boats, plus tips for a result worthy of a Batumi café.

Ingredients

Dough (4 boats):

  • 500 g plain flour;
  • 300 ml warm milk (or 150 ml milk and 150 ml matsoni, yoghurt or kefir);
  • 7 g dried yeast;
  • 1 tsp sugar;
  • 1 tsp salt;
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil or 30 g melted butter.

Filling:

  • 300 g Imeretian cheese;
  • 300 g sulguni;
  • 1 egg for the cheese (optional);
  • a little milk or water if the cheese is dry.

To serve:

  • 4 egg yolks;
  • 40–60 g butter;
  • 1 egg to brush the edges.

Cheese substitutes

Outside Georgia Imeretian cheese is hard to find. Good substitutes:

  • Imeretian → a mild brined cheese or a mix of feta and crumbly cottage cheese;
  • sulguni → low-moisture pizza mozzarella or any stretchy cheese;
  • if the cheese is very salty (feta, brynza), soak it in water or milk for 1–2 hours.

A great home combination is half mozzarella and half feta — stretchy and salty, as in Georgia.

Step 1. Dough

  1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm milk and leave for 10 minutes until foamy.
  2. Sift the flour with the salt, add the milk mixture and the oil.
  3. Knead a soft, slightly sticky dough for 7–10 minutes.
  4. Cover and leave somewhere warm for 1–1.5 hours until doubled.

The dough should be soft and elastic. If it sticks, oil your hands rather than adding lots of flour — otherwise the edges will be tough.

Step 2. Filling

Grate or crumble both cheeses and mix. If the mix is dry, add 2–3 tablespoons of milk or an egg so the cheese stays soft after baking. Divide into four.

Step 3. Shaping the boat

  1. Divide the dough into four and roll each into an oval about 5 mm thick.
  2. Place a little cheese along the long edges and roll them inwards towards the centre.
  3. Pinch the ends firmly together to make a boat with raised sides.
  4. Stretch the middle to make room for the filling.
  5. Spoon the cheese into the centre.

Tip: cheese inside the rolled edges is a favourite trick of Georgian bakers — juicier edges and a boat that holds its shape.

Step 4. Baking

  1. Heat the oven to 230–250°C — the hotter the better.
  2. Place the khachapuri on a tray lined with baking paper.
  3. Brush the edges with beaten egg.
  4. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the dough is golden and the cheese melted and bubbling.
  5. Take them out, make a well in the cheese with a spoon and gently add a yolk.
  6. Return to the oven for 1–2 minutes; the yolk should stay runny.

Step 5. Serving

Straight from the oven, place a piece of butter on the cheese and serve hot. Before eating, stir the yolk, butter and cheese with a fork, then tear off the edges and dip.

Common mistakes

  • A cool oven. At 180°C the dough dries out before the cheese melts. Use maximum heat.
  • Thick dough. The base must be thin, or you get bread with cheese on top.
  • Mozzarella only. Too bland — always add a salty cheese.
  • Adding the yolk too early. It will set. Yolk goes in at the very end.

Variations

  • Mini boats — make eight small ones from the same dough as a starter.
  • No egg — some prefer just cheese and butter.
  • With herbs — stir chopped coriander or dill into the cheese.
  • Puff pastry — a quick version with ready-made pastry, closer to penovani.

What to serve with it

A light salad of tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs, matsoni or plain yoghurt, a cold tarragon lemonade or a white Rkatsiteli. Khachapuri is filling, so keep everything else light.

In short

Soft dough, a mix of salty and stretchy cheese, a blazing oven and the yolk at the very end — that's the whole secret. Make Adjarian khachapuri at home and bring a taste of Batumi to your kitchen. To compare with the original, try it in Adjara, where every café bakes the boat.